Fantasy football Week 9: Add and drop

Each week I’ll list the best widely available free agents for fantasy football — I define “widely available” as being owned in around half of all ESPN or Yahoo leagues — and some guys who are probably better off in the free-agent pool than collecting dust on your roster.

Follow me on X (formerly known as Twitter) @UTEddieBrown if you have questions throughout the week.

Here’s my NFL Week 9 waiver wire cheat sheet for all league sizes and formats, with players you need to add, drop and stream in your fantasy football league:

ADD

— WR Cedric Tillman, Browns (ESPN: 16%; Yahoo: 20%): Tillman has the most fantasy points in both standard and PPR formats since Amari Cooper was traded to Buffalo two weeks ago. The third-round draft pick in 2023 has had at least nine targets in both games, producing 15 receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns since Week 7. My only caveat is Cleveland faces a brutal schedule of top defenses down the stretch, so temper your expectations a bit, but there’s clear upside here. Also, Elijah Moore (ESPN: 1%; Yahoo: 3%) could develop flex appeal in deeper PPR leagues going forward. Moore has 14 receptions (on 18 targets) in two games without Cooper.

— QB Matthew Stafford, Rams (ESPN: 19%; Yahoo: 39%): Stafford finished as the overall QB5 in Week 8 after both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua returned to the lineup against the Vikings last Thursday night, throwing for 279 yards and four TDs at Minnesota. He had only three TD passes in his previous six games. It doesn’t sound like Kupp will be traded, and Stafford has premium matchups in two of his next three games (Seahawks, Patriots).

— RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., Giants (ESPN: 46%; Yahoo: 52%): The rookie has surpassed Devin Singletary on the depth chart and is the overall RB9 in standard formats (RB6 in PPR) since Week 5. It appeared like he suffered a concussion late in Monday night’s loss at Pittsburgh, so monitor the situation this week, but he’s still going to be the guy going forward.

— WR Josh Downs, Colts (ESPN: 49%; Yahoo: 47%): I feel like I’ve included Downs on this list almost every week since he returned from injury six weeks ago. He’s the overall WR12 across all fantasy formats since Week 3, and he’s had big games with both Joe Flacco and Anthony Richardson throwing him the ball.

— TE Cade Otton, Buccaneers (ESPN: 59%; Yahoo: 63%): Otton is the overall TE3 in standard formats (TE2 in PPR) since Week 3. The position has been a dumpster fire this season with only one tight end averaging double-digit points in standard formats (George Kittle). Otton practically never leaves the field, and runs more routes than almost anyone else at the position. He should be universally rostered and started with Mike Evans sidelined for at least a few more weeks and Chris Godwin lost for the season.

— BONUS: WR Keon Coleman, Bills (ESPN: 58%; Yahoo: 42%): Coleman is the overall WR13 in standard formats (WR24 in PPR) since Week 3. The rookie has produced nine receptions for 195 yards and a TD in two games with new teammate Amari Cooper drawing everybody’s attention. I expect Cooper’s addition to have a rising tide effect in Buffalo’s offense.

— BONUS: RB Tyler Allgeier, Falcons (ESPN: 51%; Yahoo: 37%): Allgeier’s stand-alone value ebbs and flows, but the next two weeks against the Cowboys and Saints, it’s flowing. Dallas and New Orleans both possess bottom-tier run defenses that have allowed the second- and eighth-most fantasy points to running backs this season.

— BONUS: TE Taysom Hill, Saints (ESPN: 20%; Yahoo: 30%): If you don’t have a “set it and forget it” tight end, and honestly, only a few of us in each league does, then why not lock Hill in every week (assuming he’s healthy) and ride the wave. It isn’t hard to imagine the Swiss Army knife going off on the Panthers this week, one of the worst run defenses in the NFL.

— BONUS: QB Bo Nix, Broncos (ESPN: 37%; Yahoo: 25%): At quarterback, Only Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield have more fantasy points than Nix since Week 5. The rookie has completed 66.7% of his passes for 870 yards and seven TD passes against only one interception, while rushing for 149 yards and two TDs on 29 carries in the last four games.

— BONUS: WR Jalen McMillan, Buccaneers (ESPN: 42%; Yahoo: 49%): McMillan only had 35 yards on four receptions against the Falcons, but he saw at least seven targets for the second straight game. There’s a good chance Evans doesn’t return until after Tampa Bay’s bye, which means Week 12 against the Giants. Trey Palmer (ESPN: 7%; Yahoo: 4%) took over as an every-down outside receiver when Evans aggravated his hamstring injury and that continued against Atlanta, with Rakim Jarrett occasionally giving him a breather. Sterling Shepard (ESPN: 10%; Yahoo: 13%) — Mayfield’s former college teammate — essentially took over for Godwin in the slot, a valuable role if he can hold it. They all have flex upside in deeper leagues while Evans is out, but I expect Mayfield to continue heavily targeting Otton and his running backs without Evans, and play the hot hand amongst this trio.

— BONUS: QB Jameis Winston, Browns (ESPN: 3%; Yahoo: 6%): Winston finished as the overall QB10 in his first start since Week 3 of 2022. He threw for 334 yards and three TDs with no interceptions in an upset win of the Ravens. There will likely be weeks you want to avoid (and avert your eyes), but volume brings upside, and I anticipate Cleveland being an underdog in most of its games going forward.

— BONUS: TE Zach Ertz, Commanders (ESPN: 53%; Yahoo: 28%): Ertz had his best game of the season against the Bears on Sunday, catching seven passes for 77 yards on 11 targets. The veteran is the overall TE10 in standard formats (TE9 in PPR) through eight weeks.

— BONUS: WR Xavier Hutchinson, Texans (ESPN:

— BONUS: WR Parker Washington, Jaguars (ESPN:

— BONUS: RB Miles Sanders, Panthers (ESPN: 8%; Yahoo: 2%): With second-round pick Jonathon Brooks getting closer to making his debut, and Sanders taking a backseat to Chuba Hubbard, it makes a lot of sense for teams like the Cowboys and Raiders to have interest in possibly dealing for the six-year veteran.

— BONUS: WR Troy Franklin, Broncos (ESPN: 3%; Yahoo: 4%): Since Josh Reynolds landed on injured reserve, Franklin has been more involved in Denver’s pass attack. There’s a chance Courtland Sutton is dealt before the trade deadline. Nix’s college teammate would likely be the Broncos’ top target going forward if that happens.

— BONUS: WR Xavier Legette, Panthers (ESPN: 24%; Yahoo: 15%): It’s increasingly likely Diontae Johnson (and possibly Adam Thielen) gets traded sometime between now and next week. Legette is the overall WR34 in standard formats (WR35 in PPR) since Week 4, scoring a TD in three of the last five games.

— BONUS: D/ST Bengals (ESPN: 39%; Yahoo: 31%): Cincinnati gets the Raiders at home after getting spanked there by the Eagles. Las Vegas has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing defenses, including 17 turnovers, 25 sacks and three defensive TDs in eight games.

— BONUS: D/ST Commanders (ESPN: 20%; Yahoo: 12%): Washington has allowed 15-or-fewer points in four of the last five games and is the fifth-highest scoring defense in fantasy since Week 4. The Commanders face the Giants this week, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing defenses, including 12 sacks in the last two games.

— BONUS: D/ST Patriots (ESPN: 4%; Yahoo: 5%): New England travels to Tennessee to face an offense allowing the most fantasy points to opposing defenses this season, including 16 turnovers in seven games and four defensive TDs.

DROP

— WR Christian Kirk, Jaguars: Kirk is expected to miss the rest of this season with a broken collarbone he suffered in the fourth quarter of Jacksonville’s 30-27 loss to the Packers on Sunday.

— QB Anthony Richardson, Colts: I’ve been holding out hope Richardson’s rushing upside would help counterbalance his terrible passing, but it hasn’t yet. He’s only completing 44.4% of his passes, including 20 of his last 56. There’s a possibility of regret, but at this point, I’d rather take a chance on someone like Nix, who has shown rushing upside and seems much further along as a passer.

— TE Isaiah Likely, Ravens: Likely is the overall TE19 in standard formats (TE24 in PPR) if you toss out his monster performance in Week 1 against the Chiefs.

— RB Zack Moss, Bengals: Chase Brown has usurped the top spot in Cincy’s backfield. Moss hasn’t scored a TD since Week 4 and hasn’t seen double-digit touches since Week 5.

— WR Alec Pierce, Colts: In fantasy, Pierce is the biggest boom-or-bust candidate on a weekly basis. With Richardson currently missing the broadside of a barn with most of his throws, it’s unlikely Pierce has many “boom” weeks left in him. If you toss out his Week 5 performance against the Jaguars — three receptions for 134 yards and a TD — he only has five receptions for 79 yards and no scores on a measly 17 targets since Week 3.